All Electric Mercedes-EQ EQS Unveiled | "Wheel Reinvented"
Daimler has a newborn who proudly wears the name Mercedes-EQ and as of today, their new sub-brand got a little bigger with the unveiling of the long-awaited flagship: the EQS.
Developed on an all-new, scalable, architecture for EVs the new Mercedes-EQ EQS is the brand's first luxury electric vehicle. When Mercedes puts an 'S' in the name, luxury is a big part of what the car stands for, and the new flagship is no different. It is however very different from anything ever launched by Mercedes, Gorden Wagener described this car as "reinventing the wheel" in an interviewing this morning. Mercedes-EQ has done their very best to make sure they're miles ahead of the competition in this car and have gone to great length to do so. High range, high efficiency, and high-tech work hand in hand to create something unique. Hopefully, it's enough for them to finally fight off the Audi E-Tron offensive.
The range is always a thing
The range is the new bragging right and the Mercedes-EQS ups the scale once again with a maximum range of 770 km (WLTP) for the most efficient drivetrain setup. Low drag coefficient plays a huge role in the range of EVs and the EQS is the new record-holder with a Cw-value of 0,20. It is so important that it dominates the car's design, creating a seamless "one-bow" design with a frontal surface of just 2,51 square meters. Seamlessness means a closed grill, retracting door handles, a unique A-pillar, and a flat underbody. Purpose-designed aero-rims have been developed, ranging from 19 to 21 inches. All this tucked onto, or into, a shell that measures 5.22 meters in length, 1.93 meters in width, and 1.51 meters. All that length means rear wheel steering comes as standard, a trick the S-Class has as an option.
Maximizing range also comes down to drivetrain optimization. Two all-new batteries are available for the EQS, one with 90 kWh useable capacity and one with 107,8 kWh. Battery management is a big part of EV drivetrains and Mercedes-EQ has developed their own software for this which will be kept up to date via over-the-air updates throughout the car's life. Eating power is two flavors of drivetrain: the EQS 450+ (RWD) and the EQS580 4Matic+(AWD). The first eats away roughly 19,1-16,0 kWh/100 km, the latter does 20,0-16,9 kWh/100 km. Power rejuvenated by either built-in 22 kW adapter or 200 kW DC fast-charging. Hook you charge point up to the navigation and the EQS will heat up the battery to optimize charging. Recuperation feeds the batteries too, with the level of it modulated by paddles behind the steering wheel.
Electric Art
Three option packages are available from launch, the 'standard' the 'AMG' and the 'Electric Art.' Standard is the one pictured in grey, white is the AMG, two-tone is the Electric Art as an Edition One. They all get unique details as you can see in the images in this article. AMG the recognizable black ‘opening’ and optional star pattern, standard gets chrome inserts and the most reserved design, where Electric art gets the star pattern in the grill and a two-tone paint job.
Seamlessness is what gives the EQS its unique design, a design that translates into a unique shape inside and out. For the first time ever, there are six side windows but the most striking feature is the placement of the front windshield. Pushed far forward it gives the cabin a unique layout and should offer, according to the chief designer, "a cockpit-like experience." He could be referring to a spaceship if the car is equipped with the optional 'hyperscreen' that was unveiled earlier. This door-to-door dashboard is the interior highlight, one compliment by the build quality Mercedes is known for. Large amounts of ambient lighting are present, there's noise control, there are massage seats, a massive HUD, and the list goes on. To top it off there’s remotely controlled doors that can be operated through via the MBUX system.
Power, plenty of it
EVs are no lightweights and the Mercedes-EQ EQS is no exception, neither the EQS 450+ nor the EQS 580 4Matic+ is. Road worthy the 450 weighs in at 2480 kilograms and the EQS 580 puts 2585 kilograms on the scale. To put kinetic energy into play, Mercedes uses a powerful synchronous motor (or two on the 4Matic+ variant). Like its smaller sibling, the EQC 400, the number is the indication of horsepower housed in the drivetrain. A respectable 450 PS and 568 Nm plays with kinetics in the EQS 450+, whereas the EQS 580 gets a massive 580 PS and 855 Nm to push it along. Zero to a hundred is met in 6.2 for the 450, the 580 gets this done in just 4.3 seconds. Vmax is met at 210 KPH, nothing too crazy there.
All this power needs to be controlled, both in terms of grip and in terms of cooling. To keep this cool inside the electric engine and batteries, fluids are used in various applications. There's coolant running in between the battery cells, there's a water lance cooling the rotor of the engine, there's transmission oil colling (and heating at lower speeds), and plenty of 'heat sinks' like stator bars. To control power and get a grip, the torque gets checked a massive 10.000 times amount by the computers. With the 4Matic+ variant, there's the Torque Shift function that shifts torque to where it is most needed. Depending on the driving setting you're in, this gives playful or controlling properties.
Promises
Mercedes-EQ has gone to great lengths to make the EQS more than just a green car on paper. they've actively searched for ways to reduce materials used, their batteries use 10% less cobalt and 80 kilograms of the car is made from recycled materials. The production plant is CO2 neutral and in 2039 Mercedes aims to have a CO2 neutral supply chain too.
Another promise buyers want to hear: battery capacity loss is covered for 10 years of 250.00 kilometers. Last promise, we promise: a 777 PS version is due later in the lifespan of the EQS
